Germany-headed Carbon Standards International (CSI) and the US-headed International Biochar Initiative (IBI) have announced a new partnership to create stronger standards and certifications to meet the needs of a rapidly scaling biochar industry. As the core part of this partnership, the IBI Biochar Standard — the industry’s first material standard — will merge with CSI’s World Biochar Certificate.
An expert group led by the biochar researcher and IBI Founding Member Dr Johannes Lehmann of Cornell University will be installed to be consulted in the future on further developments of the standard, including consideration of elements of the legacy IBI Standard.
New educational materials
To further support this work, IBI will develop a suite of educational materials to increase understanding for CSI certification applicants about how to prepare for certification, and how to best prepare for future recertification.
These educational materials will include online courses and cover all of CSI’s certifications, including the World Biochar Certificate, and the Global Artisan C-Sink, among others.
Ensuring the highest quality and safest biochar has been the hallmark of the IBI Standard since its launch in 2015.
By merging this legacy with CSI’s updated World Biochar Certificate, the industry will create increased assurance regarding the reliability and safety of biochar, both as part of carbon markets and for the physical biochar itself.
IBI members can also receive discounts on education programs, expected to launch later in 2024, creating a pathway to certification that is cost-effective and accessible along with additional later-to-be-announced benefits.
As a result of this partnership and the merging of the two standards, the IBI Certification program will be retired.
As the biochar industry scales, IBI continues to work to support it with partnerships that create confidence in biochar systems. Merging IBI’s legacy standard with the World Biochar Certificate, and creating new education programs to support the companies seeking certification, creates new value for the entire biochar ecosystem, from producer to buyer, said Lucia Brusegan, IBI Board Chair.
Carbon Standards International (CSI) is at the forefront of shaping a sustainable future by setting carbon standards such as the European Biochar Certificate (EBC), and World Biochar Certificate (WBC) for biochar production and ensuring its quality (EBC, WBC).
CSI also encompasses carbon sinks with multiple novel methodologies for example EBC C-Sink, Global Biochar C-Sink, and Global Artisan C-Sink.
In the last few years, biochar production has developed rapidly all over the world. In this partnership with IBI, we want to offer modern standards and supporting services for the biochar industry but also for all producers worldwide, said Ueli Steiner, CEO of CSI.
